Robert Finley – Hallelujah! Don’t Let the Devil Fool Ya
Easy Eye Sound
8 tracks – 45 minutes
Born in the small town of Bernice, Louisiana, Robert Finley started playing guitar at age 11 on a guitar he bought from a thrift store. He learned to play by watching the fingers of guitar players in gospel quartets. Born in 1954, he joined the US Army in 1970 to train as a helicopter technician. He was sent to Germany to train, but upon arrival he was brought into the US Army band as a guitarist and ultimately as the band leader. He stayed with the band and traveled Europe in concerts until his discharge.
Upon returning home, he worked as a street performer and a carpenter while fronting a gospel group, Brother Finley and the Gospel Sisters. He was forced to retire from carpentry when he was determined to be legally blind. In 2015, the non-profit organization Music Maker Relief Foundation that supports aging musicians discovered Robert busking on the streets of Arkansas. They packaged him in touring acts including Robert Lee Coleman and Alabama Slim.
In 2016, he released his first album, Age Don’t Mean a Thing, which kicked off a new musical career for him. He became a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent. Dan Auerbach, the leader of The Black Keys band and owner and producer for the Easy Eye Sound Studios heard the record and immediately sought Robert for a collaboration that has now lasted through this current release, the fourth album on Auerbach’s label.
The album launches Robert into a return to his gospel blues roots. Robert provides all vocals and plays guitar on the album and is joined by his daughter, Christy Johnson, for call and response vocals. Dan Auerbach produced the album ad also adds some guitar. The rest of the band include Barrie Cadogan on guitar, Malcolm Catto on drums, Tommy Brenneck on bass, and Ray Jacildo on keyboards. The album was recorded in a single day of impromptu jams and improvised on the spot vocals. Although with its album cover and the obviously titled songs definitely establishes the gospel theme, the album steps away from that sole presentation and presents a soulful and powerful blues inviting you to join in the celebration even while Robert is testifying.
“I Wanna Thank You” starts off with a very smooth groove as the gruff-voiced Robert sings “Don’t make me make a fool of myself…But I can’t help what I feel. I am so glad I am here”. “In the morning if I wake, Lord I pray for forgiveness for all of my mistakes.” “Praise Him” cites “that I want to write a book, but I am running out of time” “I want to tell somebody how he helped a blind man see”. “Holy Ghost Party” opens with the rhythm of a ticking clock and generates into free form jazz guitar runs as Robert cites that he wants to party.
He declares “His Love” is forever” and moves into a classical soul song with Ray’s piano lead and Robert sharing his love for the Lord that could just as easily have swayed into a routine love song. “Helping Hand” starts with Ray’s tinkling piano and builds into a funky groove as he demands “Young man, I ‘ve got to talk to you…telling you something you really need to know”. “Stop wasting your time…you are only in this world; you only live for so long. Everybody is going to die someday, right or wrong”. The rhythm section drives the funky groove with Ray’s organ, and a stinging guitar build on “Can’t Take My Joy” as Robert loudly proclaims like a maddened preacher that no one can take his joy or glory.
“On The Battlefield” introduces a harmonica into the mix as Robert tells he is out here battling for the Lord as Malcolm’s drum delivers a military beat and Dan’s guitar swells into the funky beat as Robert asks “Take me Lord. I am working as hard as I can to save my fellow man” and ends in a dynamic turmoil. The 8-1/2 minute ” I Am a Witness” closes the album with a more laidback groove as Robert tells “I saw a grown man down on his knees begging the Lord” in a seeming autobiographical story related to his Daddy and returning to the point that he “gave my eyes to you but he tells me what I need to do”.
Robert delivers a fiery and passionate testimony supported by the somewhat repetitious underscore of Christy’s vocals. I kept hoping to hear her reach out into some additional soaring vocals similar to what would be heard in a gospel choir. Nonetheless the funk-filled instrumentals drive the songs along with Robert’s fervent declarations.
